Wilson River report 1/7 & some thoughts

[bubs]

Well the conditions looked good yesterday, air temp going to be mid 40s and water level around 5.7 and dropping, but I got skunked...hard.

Split the day in half, morning I was pretty far low (around 'guard rail hole' area) and afternoon pretty far up (mile 17-19) and was out trying a range of appropriate techniques all day to no avail.

Down low I found that some of the smaller spots I like were a bit too inundated at that water level - there was just too much water moving too fast to make it happen, or I couldn't get to them (wading) because the current was too strong. Saw I think 7 drift boats go by down there, no one was having any luck.

Up high I guess I just didn't find the fish.

All things considered, I'm guessing if there was a good bite yesterday on the Wilson it was at some of the honey holes between the two places I fished, especially in the few miles around and above Mills Bridge. Mental note made for next time the Wilson is at this level...

Sometimes I think I have a random agenda I decide on before I go out, and I stick to it for some reason even though seeing the conditions on the ground suggests changing tactics...this is a bad habit!

Sorry this was rambling, hopefully something useful in there...anybody else make it to the Wilson past couple days or have any thoughts on my thoughts?

 

[cddunn]

Skunk for me today on the Wilson.

 

[jkyser01]

Heading out in the am. Will let ya know. Been out twice this year and have had no luck. Tommorow will be the day, right

 

[troutmasta]

Right!

 

[cddunn]

Bringing beads?

 

[jkyser01]

Spent Saturday morning in the Wilson and other than some spawned out salmon, we had no action. Water seemed perfect but no fish. Wife was using a blue fox and I was drifting jigs. Seemed like my presentation was good but had no takers. Further proof I have no idea what I'm doing
Still a beauteful day in the water.
Seems like a slow start to the year for steelies on the north coast. Haven't heard of much going on. Am I off base?

 

[troutmasta]

Spent Saturday morning in the Wilson and other than some spawned out salmon, we had no action. Water seemed perfect but no fish. Wife was using a blue fox and I was drifting jigs. Seemed like my presentation was good but had no takers. Further proof I have no idea what I'm doing
Still a beauteful day in the water.
Seems like a slow start to the year for steelies on the north coast. Haven't heard of much going on. Am I off base?

Water is pretty low and Im sure pretty clear. The season is strong wait for some rain and fish the drop. You'll get em.

 

[SmallStreams]

Spent Saturday morning in the Wilson and other than some spawned out salmon, we had no action. Water seemed perfect but no fish. Wife was using a blue fox and I was drifting jigs. Seemed like my presentation was good but had no takers. Further proof I have no idea what I'm doing
Still a beauteful day in the water.
Seems like a slow start to the year for steelies on the north coast. Haven't heard of much going on. Am I off base?

Not on the Wilson, but another north coast stream running low & clear, I caught a 33" buck & 23" buck Sunday on single casts after figuring out that spinners were too clunky for the conditions on Saturday. Yeah, took me all day to figure that out, LOL! Also saw a nice 30"+ caught by a pair of guys using something under a bobber on Saturday. By the standards of this other river, these were up-stream fish.

Anyway, the fish are there, but you have to take a different approach. I saw fish moving upstream pretty much all day, both days... big fish acting like there was no current in the river. One swam circles around my spinner out of curiousity, swam upstream, came back downstream, ran upstream again before I could even cast again! If they were holding, it was usually in shallow riffles.

The upcoming rain-fest may or may not be fishable this weekend; half inch to an inch of rain each day starting Wed through the weekend. Likely that Wed-Fri will see another wave of fish move upriver unless the rivers rise too quickly. There should be lots of big hatchery steelhead this year because conditions didn't line up for the weekend anglers last year.

 

[ReelDeel]

I spent Saturday morning (1/10) at Mills and a couple spots up river with no luck. My fault for sleeping through my alarm and arriving at the river at 10 AM. I saw one group of guys with 5 bright steelhead but everyone else got skunked. It looked like they caught theirs on yarn balls.

I'm hoping the river is fishable next weekend.

As an aside, does anyone know of a good drift boat guide for the Wilson? I'm looking to learn to read the water and I'm hoping to find a guide who'll teach drift and bobber techniques (versus divers and plugs).

 

[montym]

I'll recommend Tanner. Long time member of this forum and highly recommended by all members who have gone out with him.

 

[troutmasta]

As an aside, does anyone know of a good drift boat guide for the Wilson?

Ya, Tanner Ketterling-
Just tell him you want bobber fishing when you call him.
971-275-6725

 

[bagold53]

Ya, Tanner Ketterling-
Just tell him you want bobber fishing when you call him.
971-275-6725

Second on Tanner. Very patient & knowledgeable. Always caught a fish with him.

 

[ReelDeel]

Thanks for recs guys. Hopefully I'll be posting photos of winter chrome sometime soon!

 

[troutmasta]

Second on Tanner. Very patient & knowledgeable. Always caught a fish with him.

That would be a third. :lol:

 

[bubs]

Went 1/1 on the Wilson today, a native hen, and found a new section of river to fish..not too bad. How'd everybody else do?

 

[troutmasta]

Went 1/1 on the Wilson today, a native hen, and found a new section of river to fish..not too bad. How'd everybody else do?

Let You Know Tomorrow

 

[DrTheopolis]

Hoping to give a Friday report.

 

[troutmasta]

Hoping to give a Friday report.

You will.
We probably hooked 20 fish today.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I recognize those people -- they know how to catch fish.

Going to do a midday drift, if all goes according to plan. Hopefully wont be playing bumper-boats with a late start.

Thinking Mills to Sollie?

 

[bubs]

1/20 huh that's rough :bleh: